- In 363-364 CE, the Council of Laodicea was a Synod held in Laodicea to remove the Pagan practices that the previous Emperor Julian (361-363 CE) had re-introduced.
- The Council condemned Astrology for the first time in the history of Christianity and defined the rules for playing music during church services which stayed in place for the next 1,000 years.
Early Church Music
- The Council ruled that Hymns and Psalms were to be sung by the Clergy not the Congregation (Laity), and Psalms and Hymns must come only from the Scriptures.
- This remained unchanged until the Reformation. Musical Instruments were never used during Services in the Early Church.
- The style is ‘A Cappella’, specifically solo or group singing without instruments.
- Byzantine Music, the music of the Byzantine Empire, was based on Ancient Greek Music, and is the closest we can trace to Early Church music. Its main records start around 500 CE.
- A Famous Hymn of one or more Stanzas is the Easter Vespers Hymn ‘Phos Hilaron’ (O Resplendent Light) which is known from a fourth century CE description.
Laodicea (Eskihisar, Turkey)